As October began, the cool autumn air in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, began to show its true colors. The red and yellow leaves of the maple trees were scattered on the roads around Sheridan College. The temperature outside had reached around 4 degrees Celsius. But in the small basement of a house near Bow Drive, the same warmth and enthusiasm as in Gujarat, India, was spreading. In this basement, 21-year-old Krishna Patel, who lived in this basement, was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the dupatta of her red and black chaniya choli. Krishna was originally a simple, cultured and naive girl from a small village in the Charotar parish. She had only been in Canada for eight months. When she was looking at the earrings dangling from her ears in the mirror, her mobile phone on the bed rang. As soon as he read the name on the screen, a loving smile came on his face. Dad Calling It was 6:30 am in India. Krishna immediately picked up the video call. On the other end, 52-year-old Raghavjibhai Patel and 48-year-old Kanchanben were sitting on the roof of their village house. Jai Shri Krishna, my son, yes, today my beloved looks like a real mother. Raghavjibhai’s voice was full of affection even on the outside. Jai Shri Krishna Dad Jai Shri Krishna Mom The corners of Krishna’s eyes became slightly moist. Look, mom, you are wearing the same Chaniya choli that you had put in your suitcase. Today, there is a big Garba for the eighth grade here in Brampton. Kanchanben wiped her eyes with the end of her sister-in-law’s hand. Don’t look at me. My daughter gets very cold there. So wear a warm jacket and come back on time. Yes, mom, don’t worry at all. Pooja and Manasi are with me. Akashbhai, who lives in the basement next to us, and his friends Deepak and Kaushik are also with us. I have to go in Akashbhai’s car, so there is no problem coming back at night. He takes care of me like a relative here. Krishna asked my parents to make sure.
Okay, son, may God bless that brother. Just study hard. Yesterday, I went to the bank and talked about your second semester fee installment. You didn’t worry about money at all. Raghavjibhai tried to laugh, but Krishna knew how much helplessness was hidden behind this smile. To send him to Canada, Raghavjibhai had mortgaged his grandfather’s five bighas of land to the village moneylender at a high interest rate. On top of that, Raghavjibhai had suffered a heart attack two years ago and the doctor had strictly instructed him not to take any kind of mental shock or tension. His father’s current condition inspired Krishna to work a part-time job for 20 hours a week and study day and night even in the harsh winter here. After hanging up the phone, his roommate Punja Desai got ready and came out. Pooja from Ahmedabad was a very fearless, practical and worldly girl by nature. While his third roommate Mansi Shah was a little quiet and timid.Come on girls, Akash’s message has arrived. Those people are standing in the driveway with their cars. Mooza said, carrying her purse on her shoulder. The three girls came out wearing overcoats and climbing the ends of the beige mats. A black Honda Civic was driving. 24-year-old Akash Chaudhary was sitting in the driving seat. Akash was handsome in appearance and very sweet in speech. For the past six months, he had helped Krishna and his roommate so much, from bringing groceries to finding a job, that Krishna considered him like her older brother [clears throat]. Akash’s roommate Deepak was sitting in the front seat of the car and Krishna was sitting next to Kaushik in the back seat. They were mentally and physically engaged. Wow, today our younger sister Krishna is going to come after winning a prize in Garba. Akash said through the mirror, fixing his greedy gaze on Krishna’s open hair and the delicate curve of her neck. There was a hint of brotherhood in his voice, but there was a hunger in his eyes that the naive Krishna could never read. Thousands of people gathered in the huge convention center of Brampton.
The beat of the drums and Mataji’s garba were echoing amidst the crowd of people. Krishna, forgetting all his sorrows and fatigue, played garba with Pooja and Manji, Deepak and Kaushik also joined the raas with their other friends. But Akash, after playing for a while, stood on the sidelines. His eyes were only fixed on Krishna, who was drenched in sweat and laughing hysterically. He had made a terrible plan for the last one month for tonight because he knew that Punja and Mansi had to go to Mrs. Saga’s packaging warehouse for the night shift at three o’clock tonight, while Krishna, who had a day off tomorrow, had to be alone in just two minutes. Garbapu ended at exactly one and a half o’clock in the night. After playing for four hours continuously, everyone was exhausted. Everyone was quiet in the car while returning. Pooja and Mansi were eating jokha with their heads resting on the seat because they had to go home, change clothes and rush to work immediately. Around 2:15 in the night, Akash pulled up near the 24-hour Team Hortus outlet on Queen Street. The driver was very tired and the cold had also increased. Punja and Mansi still have to pull the night shift. You guys sit in the car, the heater is on. I’ll go inside and bring hot double double coffee for everyone. Akash said while parking the car, Deepak said in a sleepy voice, “You take it from the drive-thru, brother, why do you need to go inside? Hey, there is a long line of cars in the drive-thru, you will get it inside in five minutes. Krishna also feels that his throat is swollen, so I will take the special French vanilla.” Akash showed such care so easily that no one even suspected anything. Krishna smiled at Akash in gratitude. Akash went inside the cafe. He took five regular coffees and a cup of French vanilla from the counter. While returning to the car, in a dark corner of the parking lot where the CCTV cameras could not reach, he took out a small plastic bag from his jacket case. [Music] It contained a fine powder of a high-dose, odorless and tasteless sedative pill.Akash looked around, lifted the plastic lid of the French vanilla cup slightly and poured the entire powder into the hot coffee. The poison dissolved in the hot liquid in a moment. After getting into the car, he gave everyone cups of coffee. Krishna, drink your favorite French vanilla completely, then you will be tired and sleep well on the way home. Thank you, Akashbhai. Saying this, Krishna took the first sip of the hot coffee. He had no idea that the sweetness of the coffee and the heat were causing the poison of the darkest relief of his life to enter his body. On the way, Krishna drank the entire cup in just 10 minutes. At exactly 3 am, the car stopped in the drive of their house. Deepak and Kaushik got out of the car and walked straight towards the door of the Benjamin next to him. While getting out of the car, Krishna suddenly felt like he had stepped on something and the whole earth was spinning. He took the support of the car door. Krishna, what happened? I feel dizzy. Punja asked, holding her hand. I don’t know. Pooja’s head suddenly felt very heavy and she couldn’t open her eyes. Krishna’s voice was slurring. Akash, who was standing behind, had a glint of a smile on his face in the dark. He immediately said, “Pooja, she has been playing garba for four hours straight, so she must have fainted due to exhaustion. You guys take her down and put her to sleep. You’ll be late for work.” Pooja and Mansi supported Krishna and took her to the basement. By the time they reached the basement, the effects of the medicine had completely taken over Krishna’s mind. She didn’t even have the strength to change her chaniya choli. Pooja took off her sandals and made her lie down on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Krishna, we are going on the net shift. We will be back at eight in the morning. We will lock the door, so sleep comfortably.” Mansi took her bag and said, “Krishna, let me say something.” Her throat was dry and her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. In front of her half-open, blurry eyes, Pooja and Mansi climbed the two-minute stairs and came out, and the heavy wooden door above closed with a click. The click of the door above was silenced by its impact on the damp walls of the basement. With that, Krishna’s heavy eyelids closed completely. The sedative mixed with the hot French vanilla coffee from Tim Hortus had completely taken control of her nervous system. As soon as Pooja and Mansi’s Uber taxi turned from the driveway to the main road, a terrifying smile appeared on the face of Akash, who was standing behind the curtain of the window of the basement next door. His roommates Deepak and Kaushik were snoring in their rooms. Akash put on his jacket with a heavy step. Two months ago, when the lock on Krishna and Pooja’s basement door broke, Akash, being the helpful older brother, had fitted a new lock. And at the same time, he had hidden a duplicate key with himself. Today, the time had come to use that key.
It was around three o’clock in the night. The streets of Brampton were so cold and silent that even a rooster would crow. Akash opened the side door of Krishna’s basement like a thief. After entering, he locked the door from the inside. The yellow light in the living room table was on, and he slowly walked towards Krishna’s bedroom. Krishna was lying on the bed like a lifeless statue, his breathing slow but deep. The girl who called him Akashbhai respected him more than her own brother, and whose father had thanked Akash on the phone with folded hands. Standing in front of the helplessness of the innocent girl, Akash turned on the camera of the iPhone in his hand. That night, between the four walls of that closed basement, humanity died of shame. Krishna’s body was not able to move or resist even a little under the deep influence of the drug. The sound of the Garba drums had not yet reached his ears. Right there, the cruelest blow of betrayal took everything from him. Akash not only satisfied his animalistic desires but also shot videos and photos of that entire dark night on his mobile phone from different angles to keep Krishna’s mouth shut forever in the future and make him his slave. It was seven in the morning. The pale light of the autumn sun was streaming in through the small glass window above the basement. The effect of the medicine was slowly fading from Krishna’s brain. His eyelids were fluttering, his head was splitting as if hammers were hitting him, and there was a pain in his throat like thorns. He tried to turn over and with that, a terrible tingling and unbearable pain passed through his entire body. A low scream escaped from his mouth. He opened his blurry eyes and looked at the ceiling and then as his gaze fell on his body, his heart stopped beating for a moment. The red and black Chaniya choli he was wearing was in a tattered and torn condition. The pieces of the red glass bangles he was wearing were scattered on the bedsheet and on the floor. Two or three pieces of them had stuck in his hands, causing black streaks of blood to form.Every part of his body was screaming and saying what had happened to him that night. Krishna’s mind went blank. She pulled the bed seat with her eyes wide open and went to cover herself. At that very moment, a voice came from the corner of the room. Good morning Krishna. Krishna turned her neck with a jerk. Akash was sitting cross-legged on a wooden chair in the corner of the room. He had a coffee mug in his hand and there was such a shocking triumphant smile on his face that the ground slipped from under Krishna’s feet. Akashbhai, what are you doing here in my room and what has happened to me? Krishna’s voice was broken. His whole body started shaking like a leaf. He pressed the wall and rubbed it with his knees. Akash got up from the chair and slowly approached the bed. Brother Baskar Krishna, now this brother-sister drama is over. For the last six months, seeing your innocent look and your departure, my Sleep was forbidden. Yesterday, seeing you in a chania choli, I had decided that tonight would be mine. I remember that French vanilla coffee from Tim Hortons. My special medicine was mixed in it. Every word of Akash was pouring into Krishna’s ears like lead juice. He couldn’t believe his ears. He never imagined that the person he had considered as the form of God in a foreign land would turn out to be such a man and a bitch. You did this to me. Don’t be ashamed. I considered you my elder brother. I’m calling Pooja right now. I’ll call the police. I’ll put you behind bars. Krishna started crying and screaming and stretched out her hand to pick up her phone lying on the bedside table. “Yes, I’ll call the police. Call them, but first, let me see this,” Akash said. He took out his iPhone from his pocket, unlocked the screen and held it in front of Krishna’s face. As soon as he saw the two-minute video playing on the mobile screen, Krishna’s eyes froze. The shiver that was coming out of his throat froze there, his blood turned to water and his hands and feet went numb. Akash put the phone back in his pocket and held Krishna’s hair and lifted his face. Listen carefully Krishna, I have four such videos and 25 photos in my phone and all of them have been saved on my private cloud. If he has even mentioned the name of the police by mistake or said a word to your first and a half smart roommate Pooja or Mansi, then in just one click this video will reach the WhatsApp group of your Patel community, the phone of the sarpanch of your village and the WhatsApp of your father Raghavjibhai.Krishna’s heart sank as soon as he heard the word “father”. The face of his heart patient father flashed before his eyes. He had returned to the village with his head held high and said, “My daughter has gone to study in Canada. She will make my name shine.” Akash saw the fear on Krishna’s face and said in a more cruel voice, “Your father has a heart disease. The day the village thief goes viral and people spit on your father’s face that he sent his daughter to study in Canada, that he had to do such a business, that very second your father will fall from a height of eight feet and die and your mother will fall into a well. Do you want to take your father’s life or do you want to silently listen to me?” Krishna slid down from the bed and fell at Akash’s feet. She folded both her hands. Her tears were dripping on Akash’s shoes. For God’s sake, Akashbhai, delete this video of me falling at your feet. My father will not be able to live. He will die. My life will be ruined. Don’t do it, I beg you. Akash shoved Krishna away with his feet. No, no, from now on you will have to pay the price. This video will not be deleted. When I call, you will come to my room silently. And yes, the part-time job you do will also be paid into my account from now on. Before your roommate comes at eight o’clock, take a bath and clean all this up. If Pooja has even the slightest doubt on your face, then before evening, your father’s name will be destroyed in your village. Krishna’s tongue was sewn shut. The existence of that 21-year-old girl was crushed under the weight of fear for her father’s life and the honor of her family. She just shook her head in a helpless manner. Akash Vijay came out of the bedroom with a smile and slammed the main door of the basement and left.
Krishna fell to the ground, he reached out and picked up his mobile from the table, but the phone slipped from his trembling hand and fell on the carpet. The phone screen turned on and a WhatsApp notification was flashing on it. It was a message from his father. Jai Shri Krishna, how was my son’s Garba? Wake up in the morning and call him. As soon as he read that message from his father, Jai Shri Krishna, how was my son’s Garba? Wake up in the morning and call him. Krishna’s chest felt as if someone had thrust a burning rod into it. He covered his scarf over his mouth so that the screams of his heart breaking would not go beyond the walls of the basement. His whole body was shaking. What answer could he give to the father who had mortgaged his land and saved his money for medicine and sent his daughter abroad? Dad, the one you considered my elder brother has ruined your daughter’s life. The clock showed 3:30 am. Pooja and Mansi were to return from the net shift in just half an hour. The threat of the sky was ringing in her ears. Krishna staggered to her feet and picked up the pieces of glass bangles scattered on the ground. A sharp piece of glass from the bangle pierced her palm and a stream of red blood gushed out, but this physical pain was nothing compared to the wound that had been inflicted on her soul. She changed the bed sheet, wrapped the torn chania choli in a black plastic bag, hid it in the lowest drawer of the cupboard, and went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. On a bitterly cold morning, she turned on the hot water tap all the way. Sitting under the steaming boiling water, Krishna began to scrub her body with soap and a loofah so vigorously that her fair skin turned red and peeled. It seemed to her that the imprint of Akash’s dirty touch would never be erased from her body. Her hot tears were flowing along the edge of the water. At exactly eight o’clock, the door above opened and Pooja and Mansi came in with tired footsteps. Yes, Krishna, you got up early in the morning and even took a bath. You are in good health and now you were feeling very dizzy at night. Pooja asked while taking off her jacket. Krishna stood in the kitchen and tried to put a smile on his face. He had put on his glasses to hide his swollen eyes. Yes, Pooja, it’s better now. He was very tired yesterday and that’s why he opened his eyes early in the morning. Here, I have made hot tea for both of you. Pooja found Krishna’s voice a little loud, but due to the exposure of the night shift, she didn’t pay much attention and drank the tea and went to sleep. After his roommate fell asleep, Krishna closed the door of his room and called his father. After talking for only two minutes, despite the lump in her throat, she pretended to smile and said that the garba was very good and now she has an assignment to do and is hanging up. [Music] After hanging up the phone, she hid her face in the pillow and stayed there for hours, and from then on, the dark hellish journey of Krishna’s life began, which turned the smiling 21-year-old girl into a living corpse.On the third day in the afternoon, when Pooja and Mansi had gone to college and Krishna was sitting in her room, Akash’s message appeared on her phone screen, Deepak and Kaushik have gone to work. Come to my basement in ten minutes and if you think of saying yes or no, look at your father’s photo. Krishna’s hands and feet became cold. He died a thousand times and lived a thousand times in his mind, but his father’s honor and the helplessness of his life dragged him to the devil’s door of the old basement next door. After that, this became a rule. Two or three times a week, whenever both the basements were empty, Akash’s message came and Krishna surrendered herself like a dumb animal. Akash’s cruelty was not limited to physical abuse. On the last day of October, when Krishna’s part-time job salary was deposited in TD Bank account, Akash immediately asked her, “How many dollars did you get this month?” Akash asked, blowing cigarette smoke in Krishna’s face. 1200 dollars Akashbhai, out of this, I have to pay 400 dollars for the room rent and the rest of the money has to be collected for the second semester fees.
Krishna said in a trembling voice with a low look, borrow the rent from Bhuja, transfer a thousand dollars to my ID right now, I have to pay the installment and insurance of the car, do it quickly. Akash splashed his money. After standing at the bus stop in the bone-chilling cold for half an hour, and standing in the restaurant kitchen for eight hours, washing dishes and sweeping the garbage, Akash got every dollar that Krishna had collected transferred to his account in a moment. As the days passed, Krishna started sinking completely into a deep pit of depression. He almost stopped going to Sheridan College.Warning emails from professors started coming. She lost four kilos in 10 days. Dark circles under her eyes fell and the glow on her face disappeared. She would sit in the corner of the room wearing a thick boat all day. Or would stay in the bathroom for hours. This change in Krishna could not be hidden from Pooja’s watchful eyes. One evening, Pooja put her hand on Krishna’s shoulder and asked, “Krishna, tell me the truth, what is going on in your life? You have completely changed after the night of Navratri. You neither go to college nor eat the same food and you wake up in the night even in your sleep. Is there any problem? Money is a problem?” Seeing this feeling of Pooja, Krishna felt like hugging Pooja and telling her everything. His lips parted, but just then, Akash was seen cleaning his car in the driveway outside the window. Akash looked at Krishna through the window and pointed at his neck. Krishna’s words froze in her throat. Nothing, Pooja, I just miss home a lot and I have the tension of the second semester fees. Saying nothing else, Krishna covered her face and went to sleep in her bed. Pooja sighed and went out. Navratri ended and Dussehra day dawned. That day, at five in the evening, Raghavjibhai called from India. Krishna picked up the phone. Son, Krishna, many happy Dussehra wishes, may Mother protect you. Raghavjibhai’s voice was tired. Son, today I have paid half the interest of the moneylender. I have sent the remaining amount to your account and add whatever savings you have and pay the college fees on Monday. My daughter is studying and becoming a big officer, so all my sorrows are over. Hearing this, Krishna’s heart broke into pieces. The $1500 savings she had to pay the fees were snatched away by Akash just yesterday, threatening to make the video viral. Now where will she pay the fees? What face will she show her father? The phone went dead. It was already dark outside. Pooja and Mansi had gone to the warehouse on the 2 pm shift and were supposed to return at 11 pm. There was silence like a corpse in the basement. At exactly 8 pm, Krishna’s phone’s notification rang. There was a message from Akash on the screen. With trembling fingers, Krishna opened the message. It said that it was Dussehra today, so there was a party in my room. Deepak and Kaushik had gone out, but my other two special friends
